The freeman. (Parkersburg, W. Va.) 1886-18??, 1887-02-16
Governor Pattis0n On the Liquor
Traffic.

The last message of Governor
Pattison of Pennsylvania contains
a lengthy discussion of the alarm
ing evils of the Liquor Traffic.
We clip the following extracts
There is urgent need" the Gov
ernor says, ''for legislation with ref
erence to the traffic in intoxicating
liquors.
It is not needful that arguments
should be adduced to prove that
the liquor traffic is dangerous and
harmful to the community that it
is degrading to public morals,
hurtful to the health of the people
and detrimental to the peace and
good order of society. The facts
upon this poin: are well known,
and the experience with regard to
them so universal, and so sad, as
TO place their existence beyond
doubt. The demand for a reform
in the laws governing the sale of
liquor is SO widespread and en-
phatic that the Legislature would
cease to be body representative of
the will of the people, if it should
fail to respond to the call made up
on it for remedy. This call, it is
also to be observed, proceeds from
those who love order, who respect
law, who desire to see vice restrain
ed and virtue promoted-from the
heads of families, the educators of
youth and the teachers of morals
from the officers of the law, from
the minister of justice, and from
the public press. Indeed it is the
demand of organized society for
protection from is most dangerous,
widespread and remorseless enemy.
Ever since the Commonwealth has
existed our laws have regarded the
sale of intoxicants as a subject call
ing for rigid regulation and re-
straint. Time has demonstrated
that the need for such supervision
and limitation has increased with
population, and with the changing
social and physical conditions of
the people. That there should
exist in the single city of Phila
delphia upward of 1000 licensed
drinking places, and that as many
more would under the law have to
be licensed as there might be per-
sons desiring to embark in such
business, is a startling and un-
answerable argument against the
laws by which such a state of
facts is made possible.
"The Legislature ought at once
to revise the entire license system
Of the State. 4 4
A petition signed by a reasona-
Bile number of the freeholders or
residents in the neighborhood,
square or election district in which
the tavern is to be located, praying
for the issuing of the license, should
be required to authorize the grant
ing of the same, and the license
should be limited to the place for
which it is first granted or named
in the petition, and made void up
on removal. x x
even though measures looking
to constitutional restrictions
should be determined upon, never
theless legislation should in the
be enacted to restrain the
evils referred to, as five years at
least must elapse before constitu-
tional amendment could be per-
fected SO as to go into operation.
1t would be a delusive reform that
would allow the liquor traffic to
continue as at present unrestricted,
while an amendment was passing
through its changes of final adop-
ton. The specific suggestions
now presented are offered solely
with the purpose of directing at
tention to the subject and are not
in any wise as the only
or the best remedy that can be
adopted. The Legislature, upon
careful consideration, will no doubt
be able to devise more full and
effective corrective"
The official head of the Knights